My townhouse

I have a love/hate relationship with my townhouse.

My townhouse is like that old suit in the closet that doesn't fit properly-- it chafes uncomfortably. You try to take it to a tailor, but they just shake their heads-- after all, double breasted suits aren't in fashion any more. They don't think it's worth tailoring-- like it's somehow beneath them to do so.

I've been trying to get home improvement experts to work on my house for the past two years. Usually, it goes something like this:

1) I call for an estimate, and they don't bother to return my call.

2) I call for an estimate, and they set an appointment, but don't show up.

3) I call for an estimate, they show up, take measurements, and then never get back in touch with me.

4) I call for an estimate, they show up, take measurements, and then give me an estimate for something other than what I asked them. (No, I'm not kidding)

5) They give me an estimate, but leave out part of the job-- or add something I didn't ask for or discuss with them.

6) They tell me the job can't be done because of a limitation with the townhouse (the joists go the wrong way, or there's not enough space, or the electrical wiring is too old/not standard, etc.)

7) They get the estimate right, and say they can do the job-- but I have to call them on a weekly basis to get them to actually come out and perform the job to completion in a timely manner.

I could go on, but I think you get the idea. I'm supposed to believe that the townhouse is just too small and old to be upgraded; so I should just sell it and get a "real" house and upgrade that instead. Except, then I wind up going to a neighbor's open house, and see they've done a whole bunch of the upgrades that I've been told aren't possible-- and yet, they have the exact floorplan of townhouse that I do. It's hard not to get frustrated and take this personally.

So, you're probably wondering where the love part comes in now, right?

From a financial perspective, it has been a godsend. I bought it during the 1996 downturn in the real estate market. It has appreciated so much over the past decade, that even in this latest downturn, I'm still "ahead of the game." I wish I could say this was all the result of shrewd financial planning on my part, but the simple fact is I was just lucky-- I got in at the right time and held on.

I'm not planning on selling now, for many reasons. I believe the real estate market will eventually turn around, and if I were to sell it now, I'd miss out on an opportunity to make more money later. Besides, I still need a place to live, too.